Kobasew, Avs down Stars

Mar 21, 2013 - 5:39 AM
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Chuck Kobasew scored the game-winner late in the
third period as the Colorado Avalanche took a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars.

Mark Olver posted a goal and two assists while Ryan O'Reilly and Gabriel
Landeskog each scored for the Avalanche, who snapped a four-game losing
streak. Semyon Varlamov posted 29 saves in the win.

"We generate a lot of chances," said Kobasew. "I've been around long enough to
know to do whatever we can to win some games. We have to generate a lot of
opportunities and when you get them you have to take advantage of them."

Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two assists while Trevor Daley and Ray Whitney
each scored for the Stars, who have lost five of their last six. Kari Lehtonen
gave up all four goals on 34 shots for the loss.

"We played flat tonight," said Jagr. "I guess we really didn't know how
important this game was and with back-to-back games it's only going to get
tougher."

The Stars held a 3-2 lead going into the third period, but the Avalanche tied
the game 6:20 in, after O'Reilly rushed down the left wing and flung a wrister
on net that fooled Lehtonen.

Colorado moved ahead for good with 3:29 to play after Matt Hunwick threw a
shot on net from the left boards that hit off the helmet of Stephane Robidas,
but the puck sat in front of the net and Kobasew snapped it in.

"A bit of a fluke play, I just took a whack at it and it worked out for us,"
said Kobasew.

Dallas got Lehtonen out of the net for an extra attacker in the final minute,
but was unable to get any pressure in the Avalanche end.

The visitors netted the first goal of the game as Jagr took the puck into the
zone down the right wing, cut to the slot and snapped a wrister that trickled
past Varlamov at the 12:06 mark of the first period.

It was a 2-0 game four minutes later when Daley took a Jagr pass off the right
boards and from the circle his wrist shot handcuffed Varlamov.

Colorado cut the deficit to one 8:48 into the middle period. A turnover deep
in the Dallas end saw Patrick Bordeleau fire a turnaround shot from the slot
that missed the net, but the puck bounced to Olver at the left side and he
shot it home.

Another turnover saw the Avs tie the game while the team was shorthanded.
Landeskog picked off the puck and saw his first shot from the right circle
stopped, but he knocked in his own rebound for his sixth goal of the year with
6 1/2 minutes remaining.

The Stars, though, took a 3-2 lead into the final period as Whitney came out
from the right side of the net and held the puck on the backhand before
sending the puck home from the left circle with 4:04 showing on the second
period clock.

Game Notes

Dallas plays in Los Angeles on Thursday ... Colorado plays in Dallas on
Saturday ... Dallas took a 3-2 decision in Colorado on Feb. 4 ... Landeskog
has a goal in each of his last four games ... Jagr upped his career assist
total to 998.